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PB&J with a boost (a non-recipe)

School is in full swing and I’m already falling into a school lunch rut. I’ve been saving kid lunch ideas all over the place, but can’t seem to think of them when I need to feed hungry kids quickly.

Which is why PB&J was invented right?

You might think as a nutrition student, I would grab for something a bit more … nutritious but alas I am a human being and parent of two and just doing my best. In these moments of doing my best with what I have – which is lack of preparation and half and ounce of energy – I try to think of ways I can boost nutritional value – convenience food or otherwise.

So as I am making PB&J for my hungry kids, those jars of chia and hemp seeds in my fridge come to mind. And there you have it, redemption for this nutrition student (kidding). I sprinkled some hempseed on the side of the pb and chia on the j. Done.

I thought I was done but my five year old wanted me to make him a fish-shaped sandwich, yes a fish. Let me pause to note, I am definitely not that mom making cute creations out of food or bentos for my kids’ lunches (I’m just not that talented or patient). So I’m puzzled by where this idea came from, but he’s five years old – and in the wild and free mind of one that age, a pb & j sandwich can be a fish.

So we collaborated (because he’s much more talented than me in this area) to make a fish AND a scene in its natural habitat :).

This sandwich has indeed gone from humble to an inspired pb&j sandwich.

note:

With nuts being highly allergic for some kids, it is being banned from schools/ child care facilities. If an alternative to peanut butter is needed sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) seems to be a most neutral and safe one to use in a nut-free situation.